We love because he first loved us. 
~ 1 John 4:19
2thousand5 is probably one of the most amazing years that has gone by. I’ll miss a great friend but I’m happy for him because “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:1-4).
At the threshold of the new year, in the middle of the journey of our life, remember that it’s not the destination that matters, nor how fast or slow we travel, nor who we are with at a particular moment, but it is the journey that matters most and how we make of that journey. How many lives have we enriched by sharing ourselves with them, giving them a shoulder to cry on, an ear to hear their darkest fears and hotest angers, sung them the song of the heart when they’ve lost all will to continue on, and most of all, given them your love.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:13
Personally, 2thousand5 has been the watershed year of my life. Giving up the ghosts of the past, releasing them to God has been the greatest thing that I’ve done. The past that binds us, shackles us and prevent us from moving on; from living life.
As they say, the best things in life aren’t things and how blessed I feel right now is hard to put into words. Sometimes, in our shortsightedness, our wants and prayers seem unanswered but know that God who loves us more than we know, has something better in store… trust me on this one.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR DARLING!
For I love you more than words can say;
From sunrise until twilight’s last rays;
I will be thinking of you my dear;
Tho’ we don’t meet ev’ry day of the year.
© 2005 Eugene Khoo
I’ll take the liberty now to post a very relevant email I received from Strawberry…
GOD HAS NOT LEFT HIMSELF WITHOUT TESTIMONY… HE HAS SHOWN KINDNESS. ACTS 14:17.
In our world, people worship many gods and pray to them for their needs. But only few are quite convinced that there is ‘A LIVING GOD WHO IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH US AND IN OUR AFFAIRS! Even Christians who are supposed to know God better, doubt God and His interest in us whenever we are faced with trials!
In my latest book on ‘Discipleship of Christ’, the opening chapter is entitled, “The Unique Christ – commit your life to Him”. I have mentioned there that the only true source of information about God can only be God. Every man’s description of God is his imagination or guess! There is only one Book in which we find it is written, “God has said that it is His Word!” The Bible claims for itself that it is ‘God inspired’ and written by many men over 1500 years. We need to be convinced about everything the Scripture reveals about our God. From beginning to end, we see in the Bible that Our God is Almighty and that by His wisdom and power He made the universe. We are clearly told that this God is actively involved in the world that He has made. He also cares for all His creation, every man being His chief concern.
Listen to today’s Bible reading. We are told that our God is a “living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them. He has shown kindness by giving us rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides us with plenty of food and fills our hearts with joy” (vs 16,17). Do you really care where all these good things come from while you enjoy them all? Have you at any time acknowledged that it is God who sends these ‘essentials for life’ to the good and even the wicked? Have you ever stopped to show your gratitude to God for these things? The apostle Paul says that the marvels of the universe are good enough evidences for all to believe in the very existence of God and His benevolence towards them!
Often when devout men prayed to God, they addressed Him as “Sovereign Lord who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 4:24). Whenever you approach the Almighty and plead to Him for help, it is good to begin calling on Him like those people. It will fortify your faith in God and it will remind you who He really is and what He is able to do for you! Maybe that is why such prayers have power with God!
God’s ways are mysterious and His workings beyond understanding! It is foolishness, short-sightedness and lack of faith to doubt the goodness of our God and Father in heaven, only whenever things go wrong with you! “Every good and perfect gift also is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Our God promises and you should be assured that, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). You may not at present understand ‘what God is doing to you or with you and why?’ You need to believe fully that God has good reasons for everything He does to you, however terrible it may seem! For your peace and comfort through your trial and pain, you need to believe it. If not you will still suffer, only without any comfort or even hope! The Bible says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He has helped millions in the past and even today he is able to do it for you! Simply trust and pray!
Pray with me: Dear Lord, help me to see You in everything around me and Your hand in all that happens to me. Let me never doubt You in times of distress, however great, but always trust that You will make all things work together for my good! In Jesus’ mighty Name. Amen.